Southern Yemeni forces aligned with the internationally recognised government have withdrawn from the Bab al-Mandab area, leaving Iran-backed Houthi forces in control of the strategic region.

Axar.az reports, citing The Arab Weekly, that the Southern Armed Forces said they were redeploying troops toward Aden to strengthen the defence of the government-held capital and neighbouring governorates.

The withdrawal gives the Houthis greater influence over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key global shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The move comes amid intensifying fighting in western Yemen, particularly around Taiz, where the latest escalation has displaced thousands of people and worsened humanitarian conditions.